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Chan790

(20,176 posts)

121. A local high-end pizzeria did this: A real-world functional-assessment of how this works.

Thu Dec 5, 2013, 02:26 PM

Dec 2013

It's more of a mixed-bag in terms of workforce-consequences in my experience.

The register system is functionally identical to the online ordering system except that the register has a cash drawer...so all the orders go to the kitchen in the same way whether an in-person order, a phone order or an internet order. I know this because I sometimes take jobs as a culinary-temp and I've done a few (Edit: Like 10 (over 4 months) between him and sick call-outs; I'm hoping to be the temp F/T replacement for the 2 months he's going to be out.) shifts there for one of the pizzaiolos about to go out on paternity leave. (Or is it still maternity leave if the father is taking time off work b/c his wife's having a baby?)

At the same time, they moved the soda machines from behind the counter to the front and at-first allowed (pretty-much now necessitate) customers to get their own refills. They didn't lay off any servers...but they haven't replaced them as they've left (other than busy shifts like Friday night, they're at zero after a year) and shifted more and more of the table-running responsibilities to the kitchen staff...it's nice in only one respect. A chef...even a temp. chef...makes more than a server and if I'm also servicing the table, I get any tip. I make the pizza or entree or appetizers; I table-serve the food; I have to serve any beer, liquor or wine; I check with you 1 or 2 times to see if you need anything or would like to order more...other than that, you're on your own.

The end result is that they end up with about 1/3 the workforce but the workforce remaining is making about 150-200% as much as they did before. $10.60 +tips (with a median ticket price of $36 for pizza or $70 for entrees for a party of four...$60 (or $90+) with alco. beverages...more with desserts or appetizers.) is better than $10.60 without tips...but I know that I'm displacing at-least one server and they moved from having servers that bus their own tables to making the dishwashers bus the tables and I have to tip them out.

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Of Course Applebee's Is Going to Replace Waiters With Tablets [View all] TalkingDog Dec 2013 OP

Sounds good to me... Decaffeinated Dec 2013 #1

Um... who, exactly, is going to be refilling your drink? You won't have wait staff. TalkingDog Dec 2013 #5

It will be similar to automated check out machines at grocery stores. former9thward Dec 2013 #9

Yea, but the person at the auto checkout jamzrockz Dec 2013 #49

They'll probably make drinks self-serve. and then you get a 1-800 # to complain about crappy service Erose999 Dec 2013 #12

You'll have PROOF of it, though--not "I TOLLLLLD him/her I wanted cheese on that!" MADem Dec 2013 #31

I found a print bug in Papa Gino's online order system... Larkspur Dec 2013 #63

If you order from PG's online, there is a space to write a note to the people taking the order. MADem Dec 2013 #65

Dominoes messed up my daughter's pizza order Ms. Toad Dec 2013 #99

See? You had PROOF they messed it up! MADem Dec 2013 #101

She doesn't eat pizza at all anymore. Ms. Toad Dec 2013 #104

I've done it both ways, and in my experience, I get a much more accurate order MADem Dec 2013 #110

Ive had online pizza orders bungled many times. The driver said its a common problem. Erose999 Dec 2013 #117

I don't expect the total removal of wait staff in the immediate future... Decaffeinated Dec 2013 #77

Nor do I. kentauros Dec 2013 #115

A local high-end pizzeria did this: A real-world functional-assessment of how this works. Chan790 Dec 2013 #121

That's cool that you're able to serve and cook. kentauros Dec 2013 #131

Well, that would put an end to fake-receipt attention-cravers. WinkyDink Dec 2013 #2

It's just a stopgap measure until we have Star Trek replicators. Blue_Adept Dec 2013 #3

This message was self-deleted by its author leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #4

This one Blue_Adept Dec 2013 #15

so theyre gonna pay the wait staff to do what? leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #19

They can still bring you the food Politicalboi Dec 2013 #32

I am sure their long-term plan is to eliminate wait staff altogether.... Swede Atlanta Dec 2013 #53

that's the long term plan of technology!!! LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #58

"illegals"??????? Seriously? LeftyMom Dec 2013 #90

Incredible... nt MADem Dec 2013 #102

some see them as commiting breaking-and-entering on the u.s. leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #119

Who sees that? LeftyMom Dec 2013 #132

i did leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #134

sorry never answered your question the answer is i do, norman goldman does also (he's on leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #135

thanks you know i completely overlooked that part of it thanks leftyohiolib Dec 2013 #61

I take it you've never waited tables before TorchTheWitch Dec 2013 #92

I go to sit-down restaurants wickerwoman Dec 2013 #122

All fine and dandy until the power goes out in the middle of dinner service. Erose999 Dec 2013 #6

That has never happened to me. former9thward Dec 2013 #10

Last time I went to Chili's the power did go out. Thunderstorms. Climate change. Fun fact: most Erose999 Dec 2013 #18

I used to love those things, especially at the gas station in the 70's. tridim Dec 2013 #33

I think it was the hope that maybe they'd lose the slip... PoliticAverse Dec 2013 #69

Born AFTER 1980, you mean. MADem Dec 2013 #34

yeah after is what I meant. We've had one everywhere I've worked, but all those places have been Erose999 Dec 2013 #44

There's required parts that are electric. jeff47 Dec 2013 #78

They still use them in cabs philosslayer Dec 2013 #84

1985--please enlighten me Tien1985 Dec 2013 #103

Hell, I saw one of those back in February Sen. Walter Sobchak Dec 2013 #111

Trust me the more electronic your kitchen gets the bigger the pain in the ass it is. Arcanetrance Dec 2013 #60

Once a restaurant lost its power because of workers ChazII Dec 2013 #71

And that never happens when they have human wait staff Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #20

Human wait staff can at least take orders & payment manually. When the tablets go out Crapplebee's Erose999 Dec 2013 #23

Is that before, or after they subdue the rioters? Capt. Obvious Dec 2013 #29

Remember the diners that had telephones in each booth liberal N proud Dec 2013 #7

I didn't know they had phones in restaurants to call the kitchen. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #42

yes Rosa Luxemburg Dec 2013 #106

You go to the restaurant, sit down before a tablet, and order rocktivity Dec 2013 #8

well, with applebees, it is already microwaved food, you can do that at home as well. hollysmom Dec 2013 #14

Unless things have changed, the vast majority of Applebees food is NOT microwaved. tridim Dec 2013 #35

Maybe, but it is probably pre seasoned hollysmom Dec 2013 #39

Again, it was all fresh when I worked there as a line cook. tridim Dec 2013 #51

I've never had any complaints about Applebee's food. Appetizers to Entrees were just fine. cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #85

not food snobbery as much as not good food hollysmom Dec 2013 #124

I do love a well-made BLT. cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #126

Well, I am sorry for insulting your job. It might have been just the one I was in that felt very hollysmom Dec 2013 #120

Yes, before I eat, I want to put my fingers on something everyone else has touched jberryhill Dec 2013 #11

Awesome point. dbackjon Dec 2013 #16

Well, you touch the table and the seat . . . nt geek tragedy Dec 2013 #25

Fingers on item that everyone else touched yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #40

hand sanitizer or go wash them. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #45

Like the machines we all use to swipe credit cards at grocery stores? Like door handles at applebees DeschutesRiver Dec 2013 #64

EXACTLY what I was thinking Skittles Dec 2013 #70

Call it the eColiMagicWaitron3000 Blue Owl Dec 2013 #76

Do you touch doorknobs? n/t cherokeeprogressive Dec 2013 #86

But will the food improve? hobbit709 Dec 2013 #13

This is the dark side of technology, technology destroys so many jobs AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #17

Someone has to make the tablet, program the tablet, install the tablet, perform maintenance on the MADem Dec 2013 #37

Come on, thats Propaganda AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #93

Should we halt progress to save jobs? Glassunion Dec 2013 #98

Nonsense. Thinking business as usual will prevail is "propaganda." MADem Dec 2013 #109

do you tip a tablet-so the servers will be made whole from loss of tip money-believe that when i - dembotoz Dec 2013 #21

The tablet can answer that question as easily as an Applebee's waiter jmowreader Dec 2013 #113

I thought you were going to say ... "they already replaced food with.... Schema Thing Dec 2013 #22

Paula Deen signature manufactured sustenance portions. Now with more Soylent Green. Erose999 Dec 2013 #24

Not bad if you add a stick of butter. n/t Mr.Bill Dec 2013 #28

Does this mean the end of people tweeting receipts with no tips and insults? JVS Dec 2013 #26

A drone could drop orders on tables Blue Owl Dec 2013 #27

Lol underpants Dec 2013 #56

I worked there 25 years ago, and the most fun part of the job was hanging out with the wait staff.. tridim Dec 2013 #30

At places like Golden Corral the customers get their own food already Lex Dec 2013 #36

At places like Golden Corral the customers get their own food already yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #43

Not every place will go to the tablet Lex Dec 2013 #47

True yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #50

And lot's of stores are getting rid of self-checkouts liskddksil Dec 2013 #54

just curious Skittles Dec 2013 #72

Work yeoman6987 Dec 2013 #80

I used a tablet to order food LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #38

But HOW did you GET your food? rocktivity Dec 2013 #81

There was 1 waiter who served food and drinks LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #82

But you can't just be destroying jobs without creating more AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #94

oh really? so what happens to someone when they destroy a job without creating one? LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #118

Nice bellyaching... AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #127

You seem to put words in my mouth, which is something repukes do. LionsTigersRedWings Dec 2013 #128

Guess where I am not eating. appleannie1 Dec 2013 #41

Part of the enjoyment of eating out is being waited on for a change. And at Applebees, that is the appleannie1 Dec 2013 #46

Exactly. Lex Dec 2013 #48

Screw Applebees, they are as corporate as it gets when it comes down to sit down restaurants AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #95

The restaurants deny that the tablets represent an attempt to replace human employees with computers Lint Head Dec 2013 #52

And how would like your crap cooked? underpants Dec 2013 #55

Yet another reason to stay away from national chain restaurants. DinahMoeHum Dec 2013 #57

I think there's a word for this - cafeteria suffragette Dec 2013 #59

What happens to the tablets when some kid spills his soda on them? Larkspur Dec 2013 #62

They were designed with that in mind. Glassunion Dec 2013 #88

With all of this, they aren't thinking at all about the customers. MineralMan Dec 2013 #66

I like supermart self-checkout. This wouldn't bother me at all. MADem Dec 2013 #68

I use supermarket self-check, too. MineralMan Dec 2013 #73

Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I don't go to a restaurant to talk to the server. MADem Dec 2013 #75

WHY IS ANYONE STILL EATING AT APPLEBEES???? Dawgs Dec 2013 #67

I understand that some hipsters go there ironically. Nye Bevan Dec 2013 #91

It's gross Rosa Luxemburg Dec 2013 #107

Cutting out the waiter doesn't get the food cooked any faster rocktivity Dec 2013 #74

Jobs created for those who repair tablets Lex Dec 2013 #79

That person that's programming the tablets, you mean in the Silicon Valley or in Seoul AZ Progressive Dec 2013 #96

Of course. Lex Dec 2013 #97

Ironically, I think the biggest argument will come from RWer's who will be afraid that madinmaryland Dec 2013 #83

Yay! Now 2 posts full of good old-fashioned overreaction in GD. Glassunion Dec 2013 #87

I know! kentauros Dec 2013 #116

Um, if we're not paid Trailrider1951 Dec 2013 #89

Let me know when they replace their menu items with food. LeftyMom Dec 2013 #100

tablet ordering would be great Niceguy1 Dec 2013 #105

Somebody still has to clean up the mess. Cleita Dec 2013 #108

There is a restaurant in Utah that has been doing this for at least two-plus decades... Drunken Irishman Dec 2013 #112

HAven't been in one of those roach pits in years Uben Dec 2013 #114

Replace Applebee's with home cooking. Dawson Leery Dec 2013 #123

I'm waiting for Fabricants, myself. Tommy_Carcetti Dec 2013 #125

I'm missing how these would replace people. herding cats Dec 2013 #129

Think they'll lower prices? demosincebirth Dec 2013 #130

And Amazon drones will deliver the food... SomethingFishy Dec 2013 #133